Looking for advice from veterans!

[Daveduder]

Hello,

I’m a 26, male and have been experiencing thinning hair on the scalp and receding hair line since I was about 21. It's been very slow which is a good thing I guess. I'd say I'm currently a solid 2 on the Norwood scale. I'll looking to share my story and look for any alternatives I could do to halt this loss.

Current regimen:

-Kirkland 5% minoxidil topically every morning for 2 years (switched to Lipogaine at night). Minimal success.
-Lipogaine minoxidil topically every night for 2 months. Too early to tell.
-Lipogaine big 3 shampoo every third day for 2 months I love this stuff, also helps my dry flaky scalp out. Might keep using this the rest of my life.
-Hairmax laser comb EOD for 3 months. Too early to tell, maybe a little something.

I tried generic finasteride for 10 months and recently stopped for the usual side effect reasons, it also didn't appear to have any gains, I was consistently losing hair. Definitely looking to avoid this type of drug in the future. Yes I know this is the major loss for me but trying to be optimistic about it. So obviously the one thing I'm missing is a solid DHT blocker. I've done somef looking but wanted some feedback on things I'm considering adding to my regimen. What are the pros/cons of the following:

Most likely to add:
1. Multivitamin, I mean why not. Any good suggestions, is centrum the best here? What about adding additional biotin supplements? Any worthwhile DHT blocker supplements out there?
2. Healthier diet, avoiding grains and sugar. Drink two cups of green tea daily. Starting eating more Salmon, veggies and nuts. Avoiding excessive milk/cereal consumption.
3. Using a dermaroller when applying Lipogaine minoxidil at night
4. Semi-regular message and/or acupuncture to relief stress on the body. I work out a good amount, my joints are tense.

More likely to add:
5. S5 cream
6. Saw Palmetto, going to wait for finasteride sides to completely go away first. I've been gradually recovering for a month, in good shape now.

Considering:
7. ru 58841, does this have similar side effects as finasteride?
8. Regenepure, how is this different that Lipogaine minoxidil?

Any other suggestions?

Appreciate any insight and help!

 

[hellouser]

Drop the lasercomb, that thing is a joke.... or basically, a legalized scam. Multivitamins wont do sh!t, diet wont matter and regenepure is useless. Saw Palmetto, albeit works, but its very weak.

These are the facts: treatments for hair loss are limited because everyone thats privileged with hair views it as a non-issue and there's been little to no get a solid treatment for us. Essentially, you're stuck with Finasteride/Dutasteride and Minoxidil. THAT'S IT. If you're willing to try experimentals, go with RU58841 and CB-03-01.

So basically, you're screwed just like the rest of us.

 

[0-100realquick]

finasteride was the big gun that you dropped and I wouldn't suggest using dutasteride if you had bad sides on finasteride. If anything you could try using RU but it's kind of expensive and sometimes hard to get hold of.

 

[Nadester]

Check out the S5 spironolactone cream and azleaic acid.Those are kinda weak but you have to use one to know one

 

[Daveduder]

Thanks for the responses. I see hellouser is the guy to know around here about RU and CB. I'm contemplating the RU rout and only apply minimal amount on the hair line, maybe eventually use minoxidil on crown when/if it's eventually needed. I found hellousers guide to RU from a few years ago, is all the info still the most current? Anything else i should look into? Thanks!

 

[diablodh]

I can tell you from the start that your hair loss is from workouts without proper diet and enough rest. Proper workout is more about what you eat and how much you rest than what you do in the gym.
In order for your body to cope with stress you put on it in the gym you need balanced diet plus supplements and vitamins, talk to a professional BB trainer to recommend you a proper diet and supplements be prepared that it wont be cheep.
Consider that your body needs 1.1g of protein per pound of weight and you need 3 types fast absorption - 100% whey, slow absorption - casein, and mixed one though the day, vitamins and minerals for BB not those in pharmacy.
Then we come to other supplements: Creatine, saw palmetto, ZMA and those are only what I recall put 6 healthy meals each day and you will get the picture why your body has no desire to keep hair on your head.

 

[shookwun]

none of it matters unless you have a drug inhibiting DHT, ideally something systematic.


Topical medications have a hard time penetrating skin, where as orals get right to the root of the DHT, and inhibit it in the blood stream, and under the surface of the follicle.


Without finasteride.... pretty much ****ed brah

 

[Daveduder]

Yeah I've seen that comment in just about everyone's thread on this forum, it seems we live and die by the finasteride! So I've been off of it for about a month now and would say I'd say the sides are about 50% better now. I'm thinking about starting it again. 10 months ago i started taking 1.25 mg a day then switched to EOD 6 months in. Switching to EOD seemed to make it better for a little while but it eventually got worse, after 10.5 months in total I decided to stop. Would anyone suggest starting back up at .25/mg EOD would that be effective? Maybe just start with Saw Palmetto and see what happens? I've been reading up on the RU stuff, is that really not comparable to finasteride? Thanks again!